Report: Oklahoma regents to discuss stadium upgrades

The University of Oklahoma Board of Regents are scheduled to meet next week, and potential upgrades to the football home of the Sooners are expected to be on the agenda.

Gaylord Family Oklahoma Memorial Stadium has a seating capacity of 82,112 after being upgraded prior to 2004. It was previously reported the stadium expansion plans might push that capacity up to the 90,000 mark, but now that remains in some slight doubt. The possibility of completing the bowl in the south end of the stadium does remain a possibility though. The upgrades may not necessarily increase the seating capacity inside, at least significantly. Instead, the upgrades are more likely to target game day experience improvements, something many schools have been looking to address with improved network capabilities, enhanced video scoreboards and luxury suites. Afterall, it’s all about making the big money donors and fans happy about supporting Oklahoma athletics, right?

Included with the stadium renovation discussion is a review of contracts and compensation for OU’s athletic department personnel, including head coach Bob Stoops and his football staff.

The school has targeted “significant student-athlete, team, operations and stadium improvement projects” that will combine “new state-of-the-art features and elements to create an enhanced experience for OU’s athletic teams, students, student-athletes, alumni, fans, and visitors” according to the agenda.

A previous report suggested a price tag between $350 and $400 million, although the latest report by Tulsa World shared no details on the estimated cost of the renovation project. We should get more confirmation on the plans next week.